We have a new member of staff who seems to get away with doing very little leaving the rest of us to pick up the slack.

My boss is on holiday next week - which is a good thing. But he's given me all the work that should go to her because he doesn't trust her to do it - so what is the point of having her here?!

Its not like we are busy but I will be able to devote some more time to the other chap I work for and another person is off so I can help his secretary but now I've got all the extra work to do and she still gets away with doing hardly anything.

If you ask her to do anything you get such a look that my boss goes straight to me instead rather than confront her about it. I don't mind the extra work but I'm not paid any extra for it and just get a load of grief from people and despite it being brought up by several people and words being had nothing has changed.

Well I am doing all the work that is not part of my job - hubby says I should ask to be paid accordingly but I don't think I'll get anywhere with it.

I have also noticed that Secretarial jobs that are being advertised are around £2,000 pa more than I'm on - but having recently had an appriasal where they have decided for the work I do I'm paid enough I don't fancy my chances.

A few of us have expressed our concerns to a higher party they had a word but nothing has changed.

It is nice they find me so indispensible but its a shame my salary doesn't reflect it.

I'm on holiday next week so we will see how they cope - last time I came back from hols there was nearly a weeks worth of work in my tray! We have another secretary but she has as much as me along with work she shouldn't do to cope with.

This reminds me of a previous job I had a couple of years ago. I worked as an Operations Administrator and my salary wasn't that great. We had a lot of different responsibilites and was also expected to answer the receptionists phone when she wasn't there (the calls filtered through to my office) The work load was too much and when I found out the receptionist was on the same salary as me I went mad! I couldn't believe that I was effectively doing two job roles and only getting paid for one! I had a meeting with the finance manager and told him I didn't think it was fair and that I should at least get a 1,500k a year payrise (I thought this was resonable). He told me basically that I could go elsewhere if I didn't like it so I did some research and found several other Operation Admin jobs around my local area that were paying 2-3k more a year! I took this back to him and he pondered over it for a while, kept saying he would get back to me but never did. In the end I got so fed up of been "used" (the other Operations Administrators weren't expected to answer the phones aswell as their normal duties as they had been there longer) and I left.
It just made me soooooo mad that I could see what they were doing and they couldn't! I'm not saying every business is like that, but I can completely understand where you are coming from. It's so frustrating to have that feeling of been used and not respected. I'm glad I left.

Well, I think this situation is appalling, I completely understand how it feels to carry the workload and for another to be skiving. Your boss who gives you all the work should be the one who should be frogmarched into HR to discuss why he is giving an unfair workload to you.
I would discuss this situation with the HR department initially and discuss your concerns. Did you raise your unfair workload concerns in your appraisal? Have you also talked the other boss about this situation, and state that you woud like to develop more in their area? They may come up with a plan for you to move over eventually?
Q

Work isn't getting any better and its become very tense as tempers are fraying.

I'm sticking it out as we are planning for children and there will be better maternity benefits but I'm begining to think I should just look elsewhere before I go completely insane However this would mean missing out on about £600 which is a lot of money.

Its also been commented by my friends that I should be called a PA as that is more accurate to what I do - PA's get paid more than Secretaries because of the extra responsibilities but I don't think my employer would entertain that as most of the extra duties I do are personal things for one person.

That's why they're called PA's, Personal Assistants. They organise the work and private schedules for (usually) one person.

I think that the reason your boss is giving you all this extra work is because you don't say no.

I am not doubting that you are a perfectly capable person but it just seems to me that he comes to you because to go to anyone else, especially the lazy new one, leads him to more hardship, whereas you will shoulder the burden and grumble under your breathe.

This makes you an exceptional asset to any company, but it should be reflected in your pay and title. You should keep a log of all the tasks that you have to complete on a daily basis, for one month, then take it to him.

Explain that your workload is a problem but ensure that you have a solution to offer also, such as, yes it is too much for me alone but if you give me a payrise, the title PA and one extra person working expressly with me, then I can see no problem with keeping up this standard.

Just remember that people are more likely to be understanding about your work related issues, if you raise them with potential solutions right behind the problem.

I can handle the workload given, but if I'm on holiday then they are stuck as no one else knows my job. The other secretary is going on maternity leave and we have a new one to train up but she'll have enough on her plate learning that job. Its a quiet time of year at the moment so its not so bad.

I'm off for a few days next week when our advertising needs to be done and I'm going to have to do it early and hope there are no changes as no no one else will know how to do it - I tried teaching the new girl but she's not interested.

I think they are aware of the problems but won't do anything about it - I was in a similar position here not so long ago.

I know I need to speak to them and express my concerns but with it so quiet at the moment I'm not sure its the appropriate time - perhaps they'll notice when I'm away for those few days and its just the new secretary to cope.

I work with a guy who always puts stuff off and never does anything properly and just bodges his jobs.

Got to a point where he'd sign a call off and I'd casually check he'd done it and he hadn't. When I complained to my line manager he was like well you need to work as a team. Then when it came to big projects he'd say I know I can rely on you and would just keep letting it go. I'd sign off like 16-20 calls in a day and he'd barely manage six and yet I get moaned at for not being able to function at a difficult time.

If your management can't be more supportive then you guys who do the work need to write a letter together.

Whilst your carrying thhis person and the work is been done, nothing will change.